Investment in the limelight

Manama : As part of its drive to boost investment in Bahrain’s tourism sector, the Economic Development Board (EDB) participated in a roundtable session titled “Uncovering Bahrain”. The roundtable was held on the sidelines of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), which began on Tuesday and ends today at Madinat Jumeirah.

The roundtable aimed to highlight and promote discussion around tourism related investment opportunities in Bahrain, including the array of identified tourism development districts.  Leading investors and developers from the hotel industry also discussed the Kingdom’s thriving hospitality sector, Bahrain’s infrastructure investment programme, and its economic value proposition. 

Reflecting increased demand from both regional and international travelers, Bahrain’s tourism market, which currently comprises approximately 6 per cent of GDP, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8pc, reaching US$1 billion by 2020. 

The hotels and restaurants sector was the fastest growing sector in the Kingdom for the past 2 years, expanding by 10pc in 2014 and by 7.3pc in 2015. Bahrain attracted a total of 11.6 million tourists in 2015, up 11pc from the previous year.

Jerad Bachar, Executive Director of Tourism and Leisure at the EDB commented: “There is strong investment currently underway in Bahrain’s tourism sector, stemming from both private and public sector sources.  There is investment throughout the tourism ecosystem including accommodation, technology, ground transportation, airport infrastructure, and retail centres.  

“The recently launched tourism brand identity “Ours. Yours. Bahrain” has been launched to build the overall awareness of Bahrain as a tourism destination.  Through collaboration with the greater tourism community, we aim to increase the country’s competitiveness and increase the economic contribution from tourism to the GDP.”